‘If I’m not Bengali, who is?’

When, in the 1980s, a local Bengal daily published an article describing Rama Prasad Goenka as “one of the greatest Bengalis”, the piece only reflected the deep sentiment the business tycoon had for Bengal, its people and culture. “If I’m not a Bengali, who is”? he would often say. “I’m the sixth generation of my family here, with deep roots going back nearly 200 years.”

Ever since the 1820s when Ramdutt Goenka came to Kolkata from a small village in Rajasthan to do business with the British East India Company, the family has been settled here. No wonder, Ramababu, as he preferred to be addressed, took pride in calling himself a native of the place. He was comfortable with the local language, enjoyed imbibing the local culture and was part of the local social milieu.

Ramababu was solidly behind the launch of a Bengali daily in 1984, which continues to be published with success. On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami (part of the five-day Durga Puja), sporting a dhoti and round neck kurta (called Punjabi in Bengal), the typical Bengali dress, he would often visit his Bengali friends, including some of the top Marxist leaders, with baskets of sweets in hand, a common Bengali ritual. On the Bengali New Year’s Day every year, home-made sweets from R. P. Goenka would invariably reach many Bengali homes. He was born here, was educated in the city's premier education institution, Presidency College, got married here, his children were born here, grew up in the city, where he built his business empire and virtually spent his entire life.

Yet, it would be wrong to presume that the journey was always smooth and easy. His long and successful innings as industrialist had two major setbacks, both in Bengal. He acquired Dunlop India from the British parent company in 1984 but had to leave it after four years for whatever reasons. Also, in the late 1980s, he accompanied Jyoti Basu in a helicopter to Haldia to lay the foundation-stone of the petrochemical complex there, ostensibly to act as co-promoter of the project. But, he subsequently withdrew, long before the project saw light of day.

Two of his other regrets were his group’s absence in the coal mining and telecom sectors. The investment in coal mining was not pursued well in time, and the group’s cellular business had to be sold to meet commitments in Ceat Finance which had fallen on bad days.

By far his most significant achievement was venturing into power generation and distribution, particularly the acquisition in 1991 of Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (now CESC Ltd), the more than 100-year-old power utility set up by the British. Interestingly, as his son Sanjiv Goenka once told this scribe, “… initially, father was vehemently opposed to acquisition of CESC, saying it was too big a task, a difficult business, also compounded by the then crippling power situation in West Bengal, which would make the people hostile to the new management”. He finally relented as Sanjiv’s mother strongly supported the son who pushed for acquisition.

During his long career, Ramababu had inspired many to come up in life. But, perhaps, his biggest influence was on Sanjiv “not only as a father, but also as a human being and businessman”. Over the years, the son watched how his father related to people, handled critical situations and inspired those around him, and, yet, he could not claim to have emulated him fully. “After all, we're two different people from two very different generations and everyone is not born to be a legend in his lifetime, which my father is,” Sanjiv once told this scribe. Also, the son got many things virtually on a platter, while his father had to strive hard for achieving many things.

Ramababu grew up in an environment of traditional businesses such as jute, tea, cotton textiles, banking and chemicals. But he gradually broke away from tradition to chart for himself new courses in electricity, tyres, carbon black, engineering , cables, pharmaceuticals, music and retail to name a few.

In true family spirit, both his grandfather, Sir Badridas Goenka, and grand-uncle, Sir Hariram Goenka, were conferred Knighthood by the British Crown for their outstanding contribution to Indian business and the community.

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